After a long silence, Olina gritted her teeth and said, "Can you... lend me money?"
Xia Fan raised her eyebrows in surprise. The expression made her cheeks heat up, but now that she had spoken, she had no way out, "I will find a way to pay you back later."
"How much?"
"Three thousand gold ken... converted into silver, it's about 24,000 taels."
Xia Fan was shocked, "Even if you charter a ship back to the West Pole, you can't spend so much money?" He felt that as an ambassador, it was unlikely that the other party had no idea about money. "Do you think I can take out so much money and lend it to a man from Xiji who will probably never come back? We haven't gotten to know each other well enough, right?"
Olina couldn't help but lower her head.
When she said this, she regretted it a little.
Normally, her mood would never be so shaken. It was precisely because of the moment of desperation that she said such impossible words.
"What do you want the money for?" This time it was Xia Fan's turn to be curious.
"Rent and... five years of tuition."
"Tuition fees?" He looked at Long Nu, "Can even the position of ambassador of the Holy Wing Islands be given to students?"
"It's not me - it's my people." Olina simply told her difficulty - this matter did not involve any secrets, and the situation was already very bad, and telling it would not make the situation worse. "If he doesn't have enough money, he will be expelled from the academy soon."
"Then why don't we just let him find a cheaper one?" Xia Fan realized that this might be a good opportunity to learn about a foreign country.
"In the Kingdom of the Holy Wing Islands, there are only two kinds of academies - one is the comprehensive academy facing the nobles, and the other is the Mage Tower. My tribe is also a dragon descendant, and the Mage Tower will not accept him. What's more, the latter will not be accepted unless he is talented. If you are outstanding, you will be accepted as a disciple by the teacher, otherwise you will also need a large amount of tuition. Whether it is experimental equipment or magic materials, you have to pay for it yourself... "
"Didn't you save any savings during your years as ambassador?"
"Of course!" Olina glared, "If you hadn't framed me, how could I have ended up in this situation? The money hidden in the mansion would have been plundered by the Privy Council. Even if they didn't, other ambassadors wouldn't. Let go of the house I live in..."
Xia Fan suddenly realized.
One thing he misunderstood was the frequency of communication between the West Pole and the mainland.
Although sailing battleships have appeared on the sea, this wave of navigation has not yet swept the Eastern Continent into it.
Even if the Xiji people in Daqi want to send things back to their homeland, they have to wait and see when a sea ship will arrive. There may only be two or three opportunities to ship things a year.
If it's something as important as money, it's even more troublesome.
So Olina didn't have no plans for the future, but was put in a difficult situation by the Privy Council.
"What is the mission of the envoy who came to Qiguo? In other words, what kind of thing is considered a great achievement?" Xia Fan asked, "Is it also included to inquire about the way of heaven?"
"No comment." Olina closed her eyes, "I knew you came here for information. The torture of the Privy Council cannot pry my mouth open, and you can never learn any secrets from me."
"Since you are a feudal lord, you shouldn't be able to do this just by being loyal to the king, right?" Xia Fan touched his chin, "Your tribe... is not only a transaction condition, but also a deterrent bargaining chip?"
Dragon Girl frowned.
Seeing the other party's expression, Xia Fan knew that he had guessed well. "Okay, actually I don't have much interest in the way of heaven either. But to be honest, these ambassadors from the West are actually spies?"
"Spy?"
"I'm referring to the craftsman and the spies."
"Of course not!" Olina defended, "If we could spread the teachings of the Sun God throughout the East, it would be considered a great achievement, and we would also be rewarded by the God's Envoy! But I have tried several times without making any progress... You people here seem to prefer a more laid-back faith.”
I almost forgot that there is such a thing as a god.
"Is this the guy named Hera you were talking about?"
"Don't be disrespectful to the gods!" Olina exclaimed, "Lord Hera sometimes hears such criticism and imposes punishment!"
Xia Fan unexpectedly glanced at the other party. He noticed that Long Nu's tone was not all reverence, but mixed with a little fear.
"If it was really a god, it would be time to do it now."
"Here, the power of the Sun God will indeed be blocked, but that doesn't mean that it knows nothing about it." Olina's expression became quite serious, "As long as time is given, it will inevitably come to the world. You will also see its majestic appearance in time, so it is best to change your mind now and fall into its arms. Even if you are a stranger, it will still protect you."
Xia Fan sneered, "It's a pity that even a 'believer' like you didn't see it helping when he was tortured in prison."
"This is because-" She was suddenly speechless.
"Because you haven't thought of an excuse yet? I guess Hera didn't just show up out of nowhere?"
"Rumors about the Sun God have been around since ancient times. If you are asking about the time when the god awakens, it was indeed a hundred years ago." Olina admitted.
A hundred years ago again? Xia Fan's heart skipped a beat. King Yong's opening of the Black Gate and the separatism of the Six Kingdoms were also during this period. Is this some kind of coincidence
There were also evil spirits everywhere, sea routes were cut off, evil horses were in civil strife... It felt like the whole world had undergone drastic changes during that period.
However, he did not show it on the surface, "In other words, you are still living well without gods. In this case, why do you have to find something for yourself to believe in? And gods can't solve your current predicament. I can’t give you a lot of money either.”
"How could a god interfere in such a trivial matter..." Olina argued weakly.
"But it is a lifelong event for you." Xia Fan shrugged, "If I can solve it, doesn't it mean that I am more effective than the gods?"
"How is it possible-" Dragon Girl suddenly stopped mid-sentence, "Wait a minute, are you willing to help me borrow this money?"
"You can't afford so much at once, but since it's five years of tuition, it shouldn't be a big problem to pay it in installments, right?" Xia Fan glanced at her sideways, "But even if it is divided into five parts, the money is still not a small amount. So you have to work to repay the principal and interest.”
"You mean... you want to hire me?"
"The person who hired you is Princess Qi. Serving for the overseas royal family will not disgrace your family's title, and the work content will not force you to violate the contract you made before. I don't think the lords of the Holy Wing Islands country care about Qi. Is it a dispute at the Ministry?" Xia Fan paused, "Of course this is just an additional choice for you. If you want to go back to the West Pole, I will still pay for your travel expenses-"
"I choose the first option." Olina said quickly.
"So soon? Don't you think about it anymore?"
"No need." With her experience in prison, her answer this time was decisive. The person in front of me is so treacherous, and if he hesitates, he will be humiliated. "But you have to sign a contract with me and let me advance the first installment of remuneration."
A thought suddenly came to Xia Fan's mind. Dragons are naturally fond of wealth, and dragon demons are not the same, right
Olina was thinking about something else.
His guess was indeed correct, everything this person did was to squeeze out all his value. But no matter what, this situation is better than being worthless.
Xia Fan may be despicable, but this choice allows him to see a feasible way in the confused road ahead.